Blue Owl Capital Hires Haitham Abdulkarim to Oversee Institutional Business in Middle East

Core Insights - Blue Owl Capital Inc. has appointed Haitham Abdulkarim to lead its institutional business in the Middle East, focusing on expanding operations in Abu Dhabi and Dubai [1][4] - The strategic hiring aims to enhance relationships with regional family offices, pension funds, and sovereign wealth funds [1][4] - Blue Owl has recently obtained a license in the Dubai International Financial Centre and is awaiting approval for a license in Abu Dhabi Global Market [4] Company Background - Blue Owl Capital is a leading alternative asset manager with over $174 billion in assets under management as of March 31, 2024 [6] - The company operates across three multi-strategy platforms: Credit, GP Strategic Capital, and Real Estate [6] - Blue Owl aims to provide differentiated alternative investment opportunities that focus on strong performance and capital preservation [6] Haitham Abdulkarim's Experience - Haitham previously held the position of Head of UAE at BlackRock, where he was responsible for client strategy and engagement [2] - He has experience in promoting private markets offerings in Saudi Arabia and was part of the founding team for the BlackRock Middle East Infrastructure Fund [2] - His career includes roles in investor relations at Mubadala-backed Waha Capital and Samena Capital, as well as experience in Mergers & Acquisitions at HSBC and BNP Paribas [3]